Tough weekend for both myself and the NFL.

This blog is dedicated to my uncle, Antonio Brancatisano.  You see my uncle was one of the staples that kept my close family together.

I spent the weekend in Chicago covering the New York Knicks-Chicago Bulls game.  I get a call from a family member who informed me that my uncle Tony passed away.  I was heart broken thinking that I saw him that previous Monday afternoon.  He was a strong man who lived and worked for his family.  Always telling me stories about his family in Italy and how proud he was of me and the rest of his nephews and nieces (he never had children).  So as I am back in New Jersey with my family remembering my uncle, I turn to my blog for comfort. 

As the title reads, the NFL had another bad week.  Two weeks in a row that an NFL player has died. 

 

Taken from NFL.com

Dallas Cowboys linebacker, Jerry Brown, Jr was killed in a motor-vehicle accident on Saturday, he was 25.  He was a passenger in a car driven by teammate Josh Brent.  Brent was allegedly driving intoxicated when his car crashed and flipped over and caught on fire.  Brent survived the crash and was booked in an Irving, Texas jail.  His charges were driving under the influence and intoxication manslaughter.  According to police records, Brent was previously charged with drunk driving in 2009.

Before he was killed, Brown was living his dream: playing football.  He was signed onto the practice squad for the Cowboys on Oct. 24.  He played college ball at the University of Illinois and was not drafted.  Because he was not drafted, Brown played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League.

According to a Facebook post, Brown was set to be a father in the coming months. 

The NFL needs to have strict rules for players in terms of drinking.  If they want to drink, they should know better to not drive and call for a taxi, after all, they can afford to have a taxi pick them up.  That's the problem with people, they like to drink, but think its okay to drive afterwards.  Now a bright young player is now dead and another one is living the rest of his life with the thought of killing his friend.

Brent was released on $500,000 bond on Sunday.  He is to be arraigned Sunday and faces up to 20 years in prison.  It is unfortunate that because of one decision, a life is gone and another one might be over.

My condolences go out to the family of Jerry Brown Jr. and the Dallas Cowboys.  Even as a New York Giants fan, I have enough respect to give wishes to a rival teams family.  A team is only a name, a player is only a person, but a fan is part of a family.  We all love football and no matter what team you root for you are a part of a football family.  Teams will unite as one and show respect for a fallen player. 

Hello Hall of Fame!

This past weekend I had an adventure that I will never forget, I went to my dreamland.

It was a frigid cold day in Cooperstown, New York.  The wind was blowing like crazy, making you feel as if you were in Chicago.  It was a Sunday afternoon and because of the snow, I was scared that the museum would be closed.  After all, all the other stores were closed due to the storm.

When I parked the car a few feet away from the museum, I wasn't prepared for the snow.  It was snowing on the way up from New Jersey, but I did not think that the weather was going to be as bad as it was.

Walking into the museum I could feel the history raging on me.  Just the knowing that legends walked through the very same hallways that I was walking.  The original plan was to go there and take pictures for a project, I ended up doing more than I thought I would.

First place I headed to was the room with all the plaques of all the Hall of Famers.  There were so many plaques in there from every year since the first inductions.  From greats like Babe Ruth to Lou Gehrig to Honus Wagner to the newest ones like Barry Larkin and Ron Santo.

Walking through the hall I found myself at the Negro League section.  Seeing the displays of Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige.

The picture above is one of my favorite pictures.  It illustrates players from the Negro League in front of a team bus.  Back then, teams in both leagues would take buses to different ball parks instead of flying.  Baseball teams still do this today when they play in Spring Training.



Bad weekend in the NFL.

This was a sad horrible weekend in the National Football League.  Two young people are now dead and an infant baby girl is left without any parents.

 

Saturday morning, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot the mother of his three month old baby girl killing her, before taking his own life.  Belcher went through the 2009 NFL draft undrafted, was signed by the Kansas Chiefs in March of 2009.  Belcher was born and raised on Long Island and went to college at the University of Maine.   Teachers and coaches from West Babylon High School said that Belcher was an outstanding student and always talked about reaching the NFL.

During the news conference that was held at Arrowhead Stadium, police spokesman Darrin Snapp said that Belcher's mother witnessed the killing of Kasandra Perkins and called the police right away. As the older Belcher called the police, Jovan fled the scene of the crime.  He then went to the Chiefs' practice facility five miles away, parked his Bentley and talked to three team officials: head coach Romeo Crennel, a coach on defense and general manager Scott Pioli.  Here, Belcher thanked both Crennel and Pioli for giving him a chance to play and then shot himself in the head killing him.

It is not clear what the motive was to killing the mother of his daughter and himself.  All anyone knows is that a baby girl is now an orphan with an uncertain future.  Reports say that the little baby named Zoey will be living with Belcher's mother in Long Island in the home where Belcher grew up as a child.

There was controversy whether or not the Chiefs would play their game the next day against the Carolina Panthers.  The game did go on as planned and there was a moment of silence before the start of the game.  The talk before the game was that the announcers would not mention Belcher or Perkins, and that the moment of silence was to recognize domestic violence.  The Chiefs won the emotion filled game, 27-21.

It is sad to think that players are killing both themselves and other people who are innocent.  One theory of why Belcher killed his girlfriend was that he was upset that she came home late from a concert.  It is reported that the couple had been fighting since as early as one a.m., when Perkins arrived at the couple's residence.  There must have been something that was more major for someone to kill a person they supposedly loved and had a baby with.  Now a little baby girl is left with no parents and time will only tell, how she will deal with such a tragedy as it happened when she was an infant.

Who's on the Chopping Block?

So many National Football League teams are playing under-par this year, making their fan base shrink and lose all hope.  Where other teams are shining in the spotlight.

Probably the most surprising bad team this year is the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Eagles coming into tonight's game are 3-7 and currently sit in last place in their division.  Its not hard to stay at the bottom because every team in the division (Giants, Cowboys and Redskins) are tough to play against.  The Eagles are run by head coach Andy Reid; some fans love him and some hate him.  I'm a Giants fan and I love him.  He is a great coach who has had success in his tenure, but when it comes to the playoffs, his team does not show up.  Almost everyone in Philly wants him gone after this year, and they might get that chance.

With suspended coach Sean Payton being a free agent coach after the season, the Eagles will definitely be a team trying to get him.  Payton is a young, skilled coach, who has won a championship with the New Orleans Saints.

Another coach who is on the chopping block is Dallas Cowboys head coach, Jason Garrett.  Garrett is a young coach who took over the position in 2010 after then head coach Wade Phillips was fired.  When Garrett first became coach, the Cowboys were on fire.  After his hiring, according to ESPN, Garrett led the team to a final record of 6-10, after starting the season, 1-7.  This year, the Cowboys are having a difficulty time keeping up with their division rivals, the New York Giants. 

The problem isn't the coach, its their players.  The first thing owner Jerry Jones needs to do is get a reliable and consistent quarterback.  Right now the Cowboys have Tony Romo as their main guy.  Romo has all the talent in the world, but cannot keep a rhythm when playing.  He will have one great game and then four or five bad games, its like a roller coaster.

The last coach I consider to be on the chopping block that needs much attention is Rex Ryan of the New York Jets.  Lets be honest, the Jets are playing horrible this year.  They don't know who their quarterback is: Is it Mark Sanchez or is it Tim Tebow?  I don't see any positives of Tebow, I compare him to NBA player Jeremy Lin.  He had one good year in Denver, that does not make him an elite quarterback.  Yes, Sanchez is having a rough year, but you cannot blame it on him alone.  The offensive line of the Jets are always being pushed back by the defensive lines of the other teams.  The problem I have with the Jets is that they keep talking.  If you say you're going to the playoffs and can beat any team, then show it.  Ryan needs to stop praising him and his team and start showing that they can be good.

My next blog is going to go in more detail about the Jets and why I believe there needs to be change.  Until then.

Sporty Nikki

Guess Money Can't Buy Championships!

Major League Baseball fans were shocked last night and this morning, when they turned their television sets on.  It was announced that the Miami Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a colossal trade.

The trade is one of the biggest trades ever in the history of baseball.  According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Marlins will send shortstop Jose Reyes, center fielder Emilio Bonafacio, catcher John Buck and starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle.  They will receive shortstop Yunel Escobar, catcher Jeff Mathis, pitcher Henderson Alvarez and four prospects: Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechavarria, Justin Nicolino and Anthony DeSclafani.

The Marlins made headway last winter when they spent a ton of money on two players who are included in this trade: Reyes and Buehrle.  These two were only with the Marlins for one season!  Its no news that the Marlins want to give away payroll; they traded their one-time superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers mid-way through this past season.  Ramirez was to play right next to Reyes on the left side of the infield for years to come.  Well now both players are on two different teams on two different coasts in two different countries, so much for having a great left side of the infield.  Who will make the plays in the "5.5 hole?"

The Blue Jays are taking a big chance with all their new players.  What is nice for them is that they did not give up huge players of their own for the ones they received.  The only two that they gave up that has great potential are Marisnick and Nicolino, who according to Baseball America, are ranked number two and five of the top prospects respectively.

I think that the Marlins last winter wanted to show that they are willing to spend the big bucks like the New York Yankees or the Dodgers.  Sometimes deals don't work out the way you plan, look at the Yankees, they spent so much money on players like Javier Vazquez and Kei Igawa, and absolutely got nothing out of them.  Vazquez is out of baseball who pitched in 2011 for the Marlins and Igawa is currently listed as a free agent who hasn't played in a major league game since 2008.

I think that the Blue Jays will be a better team than last year, but they need to stay healthy.  If they can stay healthy, they can be a team to reckon with.  They have the scary players on paper, but like I said, they need to stay healthy in order to succeed.  They don't need to make the playoffs to succeed, but if they can have a winning season, the season will be considered a success.  First the Blue Jays need to find a manager, since their previous manager took over Bobby Valentine's job in Boston.  Wouldn't it be funny if the Jays hire ex-Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen?  If they did, the Jays would pretty much look like the Marlins of 2012.

The Marlins have a long way to go in bringing a World Series home to Miami.  They will need to reorganize their organization.  They have to figure out whats more important, pitching or hitting.  They tried both, but as we saw, it did not work.  I feel that they will try to gain pitching because their stadium is a pitcher friendly place, meaning it is hard to hit home runs in that place.  They will also have trouble making a profit.  Now with all the stars traded away, they don't really have more than one star.  They have been having trouble selling tickets in the past few years, and I see the same thing happening over and over again until they pick up a big name player, maybe Josh Hamilton?

Only time will tell, until then!

Sporty Nikki

D'Antoni over Jackson?

OR


News broke out earlier today that the Los Angeles Lakers hired a coach.

Everyone who is a basketball fan including myself, believed the Lakers would hire legendary coach Phil Jackson over Mike D'Antoni.  Jackson, a former Lakers coach, was open to returning as a head coach for the Lakers.  He retired from coaching after the 2010-2011 basketball season after the Lakers lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to win the NBA Championship.

D'Antoni last coached for the New York Knicks last season before resigning as head coach.  While with the Knicks, D'Antoni and superstar Carmelo Anthony did not see eye to eye.  The style of coaching D'Antoni coaches is "west coast."  He never fit in well with how the Knicks ran their team; he was too harsh on his players as teams were not thrilled to play for him.  D'Antoni only had experience coaching one players on the Knicks when he took over: Amar'e Stoudemire. 

Do I think that D'Antoni belongs in Los Angeles?  I'm on the fence, I think the way he coaches will work, but with all the egos on the Lakers, I don't know if he will succeed.  He will definitely do better than previous coach Mike Brown, but I don't think he will do better than the legend Phil Jackson.  One thing that D'Antoni has is that he has coached a few players on the Lakers already during the Summer Olympics.  He also coached Steve Nash while Nash played for the Phoenix Suns.  Maybe D'Antoni can help the Lakers, he does have 76 games left this season.  Hopefully he can make some chemistry that the team is desperately looking for.

Only time will tell.  Until then!

Sporty Nikki

What is going on in the NBA?!

Taken from the NBA website.

Welcome back everyone!  As we know the National Basketball Association has started the new season.  We all know that the Miami Heat won the championship last season outlasting the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Yeah, yeah, whatever as I say.  Thats old news, I care about what is happening now and how my team is doing NOW!

Well lets see: my team (The New York Knicks) are currently undefeated.  With a record of three wins to zero losses, we are at the top of our division.  So far our defense has looked not good but fantastic.  We even beat the for-mentioned Heat to win the season opener, where else, none other than Madison Square Garden.  That was our biggest downfall last year, we never had a problem scoring, we just couldn't make the key stops on defense.  Every player is working together, there is no ball hogging as I like to call it.  Passes are being made, and there are less shots that make you wonder, "Why did he just shoot that?"  If the Knicks can stay healthy, they will get far this year, they might as well be known as the "dark horses" this year.

Taken from Google Images.

A team that made the headlines the most this offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers.  They weren't happy with the stars they already had, so they went after top free agent Steve Nash.  They did not sign Nash straight out, they did something with Nash's former team, the Phoenix Suns something we sports people call a "sign and trade."  What is a sign and trade you ask?  The definition is just the way the expression sounds.  According to ESPN, a sign and trade is when: the team that the player played for the previous season makes an agreement with both the player and the team willing to take the player and trades him to the other team.  To make it sound less confusing and with the real teams involved: The Suns and the Lakers agreed to a price in which both teams could afford under the salary cap.  The Suns then told Nash that he was going to be traded for a price.  Nash signed the contract to be on the Suns, but because he was a part of the Suns, the Suns were allowed to trade him away.

You might ask "why would the Suns sign a player only for that player to be traded soon after?"  Well, that is a good question.  Why would a team let go their "superstar" like Nash and not get anything in return?  By signing Nash and trading him to Los Angeles the Suns were able to get 2013 and 2015 first-round draft picks, 2013 and 2014 second round draft picks and $3 million.

That wasn't the only thing that the Lakers did this off season.  According to the NBA, a blockbuster trade was made in which the Lakers sent their "big" man Andrew Bynum to the Philadelphia 76ers so that they were able to receive another big man, Dwight Howard.  It wasn't the only the Lakers and the 76ers who were involved in the deal, the Denver Nuggets and the Orlando Magic (Howard's previous team) were also a part of the deal.  The main players who were traded away from their teams were Howard, Bynum and ex-76er, Andre Iguodala.  Iguodala ended up in Denver to play along players like Danilo Galinari and former first-round pick, Ty Lawson.

 Taken from the Lakers website.

So with all of these "superstars" on one team, one would think that the Lakers would be unstoppable like the Heat of last year, right?  Well that's not the case, in fact, the Lakers are horrible this year composing a 1-4 record.  The heads of the Lakers are not pleased with how the team is playing so much that they have fired head coach, Mike Brown.  ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne reported the firing earlier today, and I am sure it shocked many if not everyone who is a fan of basketball.  What I have a problem with is that Brown was always compared to the great Phil Jackson.  Jackson is a legend; won multiple championships with the Lakers and developed stars like Kobe Bryant, revitalize the career of Shaquille O'Neal and many others. You can not compare Jackson to a young coach like Brown.  It takes time to be a good coach, Brown is a good coach, but will never be on the same level as Jackson.  The only coaches that are remotely near Jackson's level are Pat O'Reily, Pat Summerall, Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight.

Who will be the next Lakers coach?  Will he last long, only time will tell.
Until then,
Sporty Nikki

Oh Sandy...

Welcome back everyone, hopefully everyone is safe from this past weeks storm.  As many know, the East coast was decimated by Hurricane Sandy, last week.

There have been questions swirling around the sports world wondering if any sporting events would be played because of Hurricane Sandy.  There were some games canceled, but not everything.  The home opener for the Brooklyn Nets was postponed because there was no way fans could go to the arena.  The game was important because it would have been the christening of the arena.  You see, the Nets used to play in New Jersey and they recently moved to Brooklyn.  The game was to be played against the Nets' rivals, the New York Knicks.

The game was postponed until November 26, which upset many fans, myself included.  I bought tickets for that game because I wanted to go to the first game ever played in the arena.  I guess that it would be difficult to reschedule the game so quickly since both teams did not have a mutual day off before their next game.  The Knicks played the following night at Madison Square Garden against the Miami Heat and the Nets played against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday in Brooklyn.

There was a lot of scrutiny as to whether the Knicks should have played Friday night against the Heat, but the game did happen as planned.  I was at the game and there was not one single empty seat in the house.  The love of the game was felt every second of the game, people chanting, smiling and forgetting of recent events.  Everyone had a story, but the game helped everyone have peace even if it was only for three hours one night.  Knicks guard, Carmelo Anthony said a brief message to the crowd saying that we are strong and will overcome any challenges we face.  He noted that "The Garden" will donate $500,000 to aid families affected by the storm.  Heat star, Dwayne Wade pledged that he will donate money as well.  Below is a picture of Anthony with the rest of the Knicks team addressing the fans in the arena and at home.

The New York City marathon was also canceled because of the hurricane.  At first, Mayor Michael Bloomberg made sure that the marathon would take place.  When he saw that many people were angry about his decision, he changed his mind and said that he would postpone the marathon.  It was the right thing to do, people have no power to this day, and the city would use generators, when they could be used in households.  Radio talk show host, Mike Francesa made a desperate plea to the mayor to postpone the marathon.

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers showed a lot of passion and love to their fans this weekend.  They had two games and they offered free tickets on a first come first served basis.  It showed that teams do care about their fans and just want them to be happy.  I went to the game on Saturday and just like the Knicks game, there was an uncontrollable amount of love in the Webster Bank Arena.  Many had a heavy heart, but their hearts were filled with joy at the end of the night.

Even though a hurricane took peoples' lives and destroyed numerous homes, it did not kill the world of sports.  What we need to realize is that sports help people heal from tragedy, it gives us a few hours in the day to think positively, clear our heads.  It's even better when the home team wins, as did the Knicks and Nets in their home debuts.  Time heals everything, we can forgive mother nature for the horrible hurricane, but we will never forget what the result was.  Athletes go out and play for their fans no matter what the circumstance is, why, its because they want us to be entertained and be happy.

Lets take this time to be thankful for what we have, because some have no power and no homes.  To go see a game is a pleasure especially when something terrible happens in your life.  Don't take things for granted because anything can be taken from you in a single second.

Until next time!

Sporty Nikki

Is it the end...?

The Battle:

 

Welcome back!  Tonight might be the last game of the baseball season.  The San Fransisco Giants are up three games to zero over the Detroit Tigers in Detroit.  To win the World Series, a team needs to win four games to become the champions.

Tonight, the Giants send up their "ace," Matt Cain.  Cain has been a solid pitcher for the club, according to ESPN, Cain posted a 16-5 record with a 2.79 ERA during the regular season.  During the postseason, Cain is not as great, his record is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA.  That is almost a full run differential.  Why is that?

A good reason why Cain's postseason ERA is almost a run higher than the regular season is because during the season, teams see really good teams as well as really bad teams.  For example, the Giants play games against teams like the Houston Astros (the worst team in the majors), and that can help a pitcher's ERA go down.  A game that definitely helped bring his ERA down was the game he pitched on June 13 of this year.  On this date, Cain saw 27 batters and got them all out without allowing anyone to get on base.

For the Tigers, they send out Max Scherzer.  Scherzer is a talented young pitcher who is often overshadowed by a man named Justin Verlander.  Verlander is a beast on the baseball field, but Scherzer has done well also.  According to ESPN, Scherzer was 16-7 with a 3.74 ERA.   He was second in the league with 231 strikeouts.  Unlike Cain, Scherzer has had an excellent postseason.  His ERA is a whopping .82, that is less than one run.

This should be a good match-up for both teams, and I am excited to see this game.  I believe that the Giants will win and become the World Series Champions.  The Giants have a better pitching staff and their not known for their hitting, but can score runs when they need to.  Don't forget, the Giants have a "big panda" named Pablo Sandoval.  Sandoval is the only power that the Giants have in their line-up.  It was shown in Game One of the World Series, Sandoval hit three straight home runs.

If I am correct that the Giants will win tonight, then the baseball season will be over.  Its hard to think that the season went by so fast.  It feels like it was just yesterday when Spring Training started.  Now its going to be a race to see which team gets the best players.  This season has been a season like never before.  There was a perfect game thrown, a triple crown winner and a few steroid busts.  What will happen next year?  Will your team overspend to try and get a big bat or a power arm? 

Only time will tell!  Until then.

What the Yankees should do...

 Taken from Google Images.

Welcome back everyone!  Today's topic is what the New York Yankees should do once the playoffs are over.  As many of you know, the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs.  The Yankees played horrible in the last round, that resulted in them missing the World Series.

The Yankees embarrassed their fans so much that some are thinking to change teams or not like baseball in general.  Just because the Yankees did not make it to the World Series and win, fans should not disown the team.  If they disown the team, then in reality, they were never really fans of the Yankees.

Some say that Yankee management should get rid of the contracts of Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson because they're "dead weight."  It won't be easy to get rid of these two gentlemen because of their salaries.  Take Rodriguez for example, the Yankees owe Rodriguez $114 million over the next five years.  Not right team will take on Rodriguez's contract, unless they get rid of a player that has the same or close to Rodriguez's salary. 

There is some speculation that the Yankees are in talks with the Miami Marlins in a deal that would send Rodriguez to Miami, a place where Rodriguez lives in the off-season.  The problem is, Rodriguez has a no-trade clause in his contract.  This means that Rodriguez has the right to veto any trade that deals with him.  Rodriguez has said numerous times that he wants to stay in New York and has no doubt that he will be here for the next several years.  If Rodriguez did agree to a deal, the Yankees accept that they will have to pay most if not all of the $114 million that is owed to their once "superstar" third baseman.

What the Yankees could do is simple, kill two birds with one stone.  Keep Eric Chavez and trade Rodriguez and Granderson for a center fielder or a pitcher.  Chavez has proven himself as a player who can handle a bat and defend in the field effectively.  If I were the Yankees and wanted Rodriguez and Granderson out, I would trade the two men for pitchers and go after Free Agent Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton is a powerful hitter and has shown that he can play left and center field.  To give Hamilton a rest if needed, he can be the Designated Hitter and the Yankees still would have outfielders to play.  Sign Ichiro Suzuki and Nick Swisher and make those two a platoon in right field.  Also re-sign Raul Ibanez as a back-up to Hamilton and Brett Gardner.  By signing Hamilton, the Yankees will get the power they lost if they traded Rodriguez and Granderson. 

With Andy Pettitte's future uncertain, the Yankees need pitching.  Pettitte is over the age of 40 and his pitching is not what it used to be.  The Yankees need to look ahead in the future and Pettitte has maybe one year left inside of him.  They have good pitching prospects in their minor leagues, but the prospects are not ready for the "dance."  According to Yankee's General Manager, Brian Cashman, the Yankees have had interest in Matt Garza of the Chicago Cubs and Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels for a few years.  Garza and Greinke are valuable pitchers and can help the Yankees a great deal.  The Yankees need to find a way where they can keep the power and make everyone happy.

I think the Yankees will keep Rodriguez and Granderson for their power, go after Hamilton and get rid of Swisher.  They have faith that Pettitte will come back and their prospects will be ready soon, but you won't know until something happens.  I hope the Yankees go after Hamilton and get much needed pitching because the Yankees really only have three pitchers in the starting rotation, when there should be five. 

What do you think the Yankees will do?  Will they go after the big guys or play it safe and wait for their prospects to be ready?  Only time will tell, just hope whatever decision they make, it will help the team and make everyone happy.

Drama in the Bronx, Say it Aint So!

Welcome back everyone!  As you can see there is a lot that I want to get off my chest.  My whole life I have lived for the New York Yankees.

Fans of the Yankees and baseball in general need to be realistic.  Yes Alex Rodriguez has been struggling lately, but he is not the only one.  According to the Yankees statistics, the Yankees record from the All-Star Break to the last game of the season was 43 wins to 34 losses.  The batting average for that time was .267, which means the hitters only got a hit 27% of the time when they were up to bat.  At the All-Star Break, the Yankees had an outstanding 10-game lead over their next opponent, the Baltimore Orioles.  When the season was over, the Yankees lead was one.  Point is that the Yankees did not just falter in the playoffs, but they have been on the decline since the All-Star Break. 

Fans want to blame the collapse on one player: Alex Rodriguez.  Why?  He's not the only one who crumbled under pressure.  This postseason, there were seven players who had a batting average under .200, and that's with a minimum of four at-bats.  The Yankees only had 12 batters for the playoffs and seven couldn't get a hit more than 20% of the time.  People need to stop blaming one person when there are 25 men on a baseball team, excluding coaches.

Yogi Berra was known for his philosophies on baseball. Berra once said, "baseball is 90 percent mental.  The other half is physical."  He is absolutely right.  As a player, you want to do everything to win ballgames.  If you are a hitter, you want to hit a home run to win the game.  If your a pitcher, you want to throw nine innings and not give up a run.  Critics like myself often say that players over think in big time situations.

Berra also said, "Think!  How the (expletive) are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"  Players have to much pressure put on them and that is the problem.  Everyone is allowed to go into a slump once in a while.

Fans of baseball need to realize that one person does not make a team.  There is a reason why teams consist of 25 players during the season.  They cannot count on just one guy to carry the team.  The Los Angeles Lakers didn't win championships with just Kobe Bryant, the United States Women's Soccer Team didn't win the World Cup with just Hope Solo.  You need all of your players to play consistently and have chemistry in order to succeed and reach the goals that are set in the beginning of a season.  Look at the Miami Heat for example, they created a "dynasty" by signing three of the best basketball players.  It took them two years to win a championship, the first year was about making the team get used to each other.

Plain and simple, in order to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Next blog will go in depth of the whole Alex Rodriguez saga.  Until then!

Very sad day in the NFL and in the entertaining business.

Today is a sad day for Detroit Lions fans and people who watched the show "Webster" or saw the movie "Blazing Saddles."  Actor/athlete Alex "The Mad Duck" Karras passed away today at the age of 77.

According to ESPN and the Detroit Lions, Karras was suffering from kidney failure and dementia.  He was surrounded by his loving family at home.  This past weekend Karras was in the hospital as a patient and told his wife that he wanted to go home.  So his wife made arrangements for Karras to be transported to his home.  There, his friends and family came to see him and say their last goodbyes.

Fans can remember Karras as a "giant" on the football field who just wanted to win.  While playing football he had a trademark: a cigar.  In the locker room, Karras always had a cigar with him.

There were some good times and some bad times when he was playing football.  His statistics include first-team All-Pro in 1960, 1961, and 1965.  He also made the Pro-Bowl four times in his career.  He played for the same team his whole career: The Detroit Lions.  The 1963 season was not a bright spot in Karras' career.  The commissioner at the time, Pete Rozelle suspended Karras for the season due to gambling. (ESPN)

After Karras was finished with football, he started acting, appearing on shows like "Webster" and "The Odd Couple."  He was best known from his role in Blazing Saddles where he knocked out a horse with one punch.

After his playing and acting careers, Karras kept low for a while.  In early 2012, a group of ex-NFL players along with Karras filed a suit against the league.  The complaint was over the repeated hits that they take in a game that result in head injuries.  The suit is still in court and many ex-football players have died from dementia.

Karras was a man who loved the game of football and loved being around his family and friends.  He will be remembered as a "scary" defender with a big heart.  Hopefully, one day there can be some solace for players who play sports like football when they get hurt or die from injuries that resulted playing the sport that they love.  There will be more rules that protect the players and then there would be less lawsuits against a league so prestigious as the NFL.

R.I.P. Mr. Karras, no one will ever forget you for your skills in both football and acting.

Sporty Nikki

MORE REPLACEMENTS! Oh this can't be so!

Welcome back everyone!  Boy, is there big news in hockey.

According to ESPN.com, the Commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman, said that replacement players are a possibility if an agreement is not settled soon.  Already there has been a cancellation in all preseason games, and there is a threat that this upcoming season will be totally washed out.

Many fans are outraged that the Commissioner is even considering getting replacement players.  Look at what happened to the NFL.  They had the no-name referees for three weeks and look what occurred.  If the decision comes down to replacement players and not having a season at all, then I say not have a season.  Why put players in if the general public never heard of them?

This whole lockout stuff is getting to be ridiculous.  It wasn't too long ago that there was a NHL lockout.  According to Bleacher's Report, there have been four "league-wide" stoppages since 1992.  That's an average of one in every five years!  The last lockout gave a result of a whole season being suspended. 

Players either need to come down to the real world or they will be replaced!  The Commissioner will not give up and he has cancelled a season before.  I don't think that the players are worried about not playing for the NHL as much as the Commissioner is.  After all, players have the ability to play overseas in countries like Russia and Switzerland (two big countries known for producing great hockey players).

By using replacement players, its the league who will be losing revenue.  Fans will boycott their teams and then it will be the teams who will get angry.  Owners will lose so much money that they would not have enough to pay their employees.  They would also have trouble paying for the places in which their teams play in.

I understand that the country is going through a recession and that people are strapped for money, but players make enough money for themselves and their families.  Fans will pay top dollar to see their favorite athletes in person even if that means paying with all the money they have.  I know I am an example of that, who will pay ridiculous money for playoff tickets, just to see the Yankees play.

Players need to realize that they do not have to have everything in the world just because they are popular.  If players want to argue over something, they should argue over insurance for all the hits they take in games and not worry how they will pay for their multi-million dollar homes and fancy cars.

So to end this nasty break-up between the players and the commissioner, both sides need to come down to reality and see that their not hurting themselves, but that they are hurting the fans who pay top dollar to attend games.  There has to be a midway point in which the two parties agree to, but only time will tell, right?

Do you think the right decision is to have replacement players?  If they do have replacement players to save a season, then the game of hockey will be a wash.  Less people will have an interest in the sport, and many small organizations like the Police Athletic League and Boys and Girls Club will lose money.  Remember, the only people who will lose if the season is locked out will be the fans.  Players will still be paid and play in other countries for other leagues. 

Fans will be forced to watch games from the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League), where many of the players are set to play this upcoming season.  The KHL is a Russian Hockey League.  An affiliation/program who will lose a lot of money is Sports Network on television.  The Sports Network depends on the NHL and Major League Baseball for revenue, and without a season, the Sports Network will lose millions of dollars.

So that's it for this week's blog and I hope you come back for next weeks.  Next week I will be talking about the PLAYOFFS in baseball!  Wow, its already October, pretty soon November will be here.  Until then!

Sporty Nikki

THEY'RE BACK! Break open the champagne bottle!

Welcome back!  Yes, every football fan's dream has come true!  The REAL referees are BACK!  After a three-week back and forth debacle over money, the National Football League and their referees have come to an agreement in the realm of an eight-year deal.  Its music to many peoples ears, but not to everyone.

The replacement refs are now facing what's next in their careers.  Do they go back to Division-three college football?  That's the question.  Fans never gave the replacements any chance to become good.  From the start, fans would boo these refs.  They don't realize that these refs have not officiated a game that has name-brand teams.  The games that they would call are of teams that if you don't live in that state, you wouldn't know where the college was.  For example, do you know where Montclair State University is?  Unless you live in or close to New Jersey, chances are, you never heard of the school. 

The only sport in college that you can find these schools playing with big name schools like UCONN, Rutgers, Duke, etc is basketball.  Why, its because of "March Madness."  March Madness gives small schools like Liberty or Davidson the opportunity to shine.

Back to the "real" refs coming back.  Like the saying says, "All good things must come to an end."  The honeymoon is over, once the game starts.  It's funny how everyone wanted them to come back, but when an official makes a call against the home team, the fans boo the refs for the rest of the game.  This past weekend there were a few controversial calls made by the returning officials.  Only one call was a game changer call.  That call came in the New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game on September 30.   

Giants wide receiver, Ramses Barden was being covered by Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.  The ball was on the Eagles' 26-yard line when quarterback Eli Manning took the snap from the center and launched a pass to Barden near the goal line.  Asomugha who was covering Barden was trying to get the ball at the same time Barden was and Barden pushed the defender down.  That resulted in a pass interference call. 

Because of Barden's idiotic moves, the Giants were penalized 10 yards.  You see, the game was on the line for the Giants.  There was 25 seconds left in the game and the Giants were down 19-17, all they needed was a field goal to win.  After the pass interference call, the Giants failed to convert the first down.  So it was up to kicker Lawrence Tynes; he had to kick a 54-yard field goal for the win.


As Tynes was about to kick the football, Eagles head coach, Andy Reid called a timeout.  Teams like to call timeouts right before a game-changing play.  This was intended to "ice" the kicker and make him think of how he is going to make a good kick.  Tynes kicked the ball even with the timeout being established and the ball went wide.  So, Tynes had another opportunity to make a good kick, what happened?  Tynes then made another kick and it was right down the middle, but the kick was two-yards short.  The Giants were so close of winning the game.

Even though the normal referees are back, everything is not perfect.  There will always be mistakes being made because that is part of the game.  No one is perfect, its like life; you make one mistake fine, but if you keep on making mistakes, then something needs to be done.  Hence why Commissioner Roger Goodell did everything he could to get his referees back.  He even admitted that he made a mistake and the fans did not deserve it.  The fans didn't deserve it, but the replacement refs did the best they could do. 

Thankfully Goodell and the regular refs came to an agreement because if it didn't happen, I could see teams, players and fans boycotting the league.  What would happen if the players boycotted the league?  Would Goodell have to get replacement players, steal them from the Indoor Football League or Canadian Football League?  If that were to happen, then fans would complain about the "new" players because they don't know the rules.

That brings me to my next post.  It blends in with my next topic: the NHL lockout.  Will the lockout ever end?  What will happen with the players?  Tune in and find out my thoughts on the issue.  Until then!

Sporty Nikki

Do the referees in the NFL have eyes?!?!

Welcome back everyone!  Today we will be talking about the replacement referees in the National Football League.  Yes, its a sore subject to many, but we as fans have to deal with the officiating.  After all, how can you officiate a sports game without some sort of hierarchy.

It has been known that the replacement referees have blown a few calls ever since taking over the job.  It's not their fault, why you might ask, its because look where they came from.  These referees have not gone past Division III college football before this season started.  Division III college football includes teams like Salisbury, Albright, Mississippi College and WPI.  Honestly, how many of the listed Universities/colleges do you recognize?  I know Salisbury because a friend of mine played softball for that school, other than that, I never heard of these schools.

You have to remember that college football and professional football have different rules of playing:

1. What's considered a catch.  In college football all you need in bounds for a catch to be considered is one foot.  In pro football, you need to have both feet in bounds, or its considered an incomplete pass.
2. Time management.  Time is essential in any sport or anything for that matter.  In college football, after every first down is made, the clock is stopped until the ball is placed where it needs to be.  This allows the offense to think of a new play longer than on any other plays.  In the pros, the clock keeps on running; the only time the clock stops is when there is a timeout, an injury or an incomplete pass thrown the previous play.  This shows that college football is more lackadaisical than pro football.
3. Pass interference.  In college, if there is a pass interference call on the field, the penalty would be 15 yards from the previous spot of the ball.  In the NFL, the ball is placed where the penalty occurred.  That means that if a team is on their own 20-yard line and a pass interference happened at the offenses 45-yard line, the new line of scrimmage will be at the 45-yard line.
4. Instant Replay.  College, all plays are reviewed by a replay official who sits in a booth far from the field.  The official sits in a booth away from the field.  In the NFL, only scoring plays and disputable plays after the two-minute warning can be seen on the instant replay.  Coaches in both college and the NFL can challenge plays that they do not agree with.
5. Two-minute warning.  In college, there is no two-minute warning like there is in professional football.
6. Goal post width.  Very key.  In college the goal post is 23'4" wide.  Whereas in the NFL, the goal post is 18'6" wide.

Why did I mention the differences in rules?  It's because this past weekend starting September 20, the replacement referees made some big errors, that cost the game for teams.  The football season is still young, but now is when good teams play each other, and when games like these help or hurt a team that is trying to make the playoffs later in the season.  One game can destroy your chances of going to the playoffs and becoming a Super Bowl Champion.

Lets take the New England Patriots v. the Baltimore Ravens.  The game was played this past Sunday, September 23.  Throughout the game, both teams were evenly matched.  When one team scored, the other team responded.  It was a fun game to watch, you didn't know who would win.  It was not until the last play of the game, when rookie Justin Tucker was asked to kick the game-winning field goal.  Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal good as time was expiring to put the Ravens ahead of the Patriots.  That wasn't the bad thing, it was how close Tucker's kick came to being no good.  You see, Tucker kicked the football and it sailed over the top of the goal post right in the middle.  The Patriots thought that it was no good because it was a sure thing that the kick would have been good.  After the game, Patriots coach, Bill Belichick argued with the referees and grabbed one of their shirts, to try and intimidate them.  Because of his acts, Belichick has been fined by the NFL $50,000.  Below is a clip of Belichick showing unsportsman like conduct.

One that the referees had to think about and look over closely a lot was in the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night.  The Packers did not play great in the game, but were leading 12-7 with two seconds left in the game.  Seattle had the ball and were looking to score a touchdown to win the game.  Another rookie, Russell Wilson was the quarterback, threw a Hail Mary to Wide Receiver Golden Tate in the end zone.  Tate pushed a defender in the end zone and caught the ball with one hand.  However, the defender caught the ball as well.  Both had possession of the ball and referees gave the touchdown to Seattle.  That is the problem.  In the rule books, it says that if there is a pass interference on the offense as time was expiring (which there was), the game would be over.  Did the referees see the blatant pass interference?  Apparently not.    The Packers should have won 12-7, but instead they lost 14-12.   In the rule book, it says IF there is a simultaneous catch between an offensive player and a defender the catch is awarded to the offensive player.  Maybe because the referees did not see the pass interference, that's their reason for calling it a touchdown.

Below is a video of the play in which you can see that Tate pushed the defender and grabbed the ball from the defenders hands.

What's your take?  Do you think the first video was good?  Do you think that in the second video it was a touchdown?  Let me hear your thoughts.

Next blog will be surprising as always.  You won't find out unless you come back.  I will not give any hints.  Until then!

Sporty Nikki

Surprises in the Majors!

Welcome back, everyone!  Today, I will be going through news that has happened in the baseball world this past week.  Boy has this been a crazy week!

As the baseball season is dwindling down, the playoff hunt is heating up.  In baseball there are two leagues, the American League and the National League.  Each league is divided into three divisions: The East, The Central and The West.  Only one team in each division is guaranteed a playoff spot, and that is the one who has the best record.  The other teams in the divisions have a chance of getting into the playoffs by something called a "Wild Card."  The wild card is used in football as well, but baseball is different.  You see, in football the wild card lets 2 teams who did not win their division to play in the playoffs.  In baseball its different; only one team can come out of the wild card.

Major League Baseball adjusted to this wild card rule right before the season started in March.  The wild card will consist of every team who does not win their respective divisions.  The two top teams in the wild card will play in a one-game playoff to see who goes on to the "real" playoffs.  This rule gives more teams, like the Baltimore Orioles the opportunity to shine.  I bring up the Orioles because the Orioles have always been a good team, but they are always in the shadows of the New York Yankees. With this extra team wild card, the Baltimore Orioles have a legit chance of making the playoffs.  They have been playing very well this year with a very young team.

Teams like the Orioles, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals have opened every one's eyes, well not mine.  I knew before this season started that these three teams were going to be the dark horses in the league.  Each team is filled with so much talent, that other teams envy.  Unlike the Yankees, the Red Sox or the Dodgers; the Orioles, the Pirates and the Nationals spend very little money on their players.  It has been proven that just because a team spends the most amount of money, doesn't mean that they will win the ultimate prize: The World Series.

Now onto something that is very surprising and sort of thoughtless that happened this past week in baseball.  Yunel Escobar of the Toronto Blue Jays has been suspended 3 games for a slur that was written on his eye black.  Normally players have their teams logos on the eye black, but Escobar did not.  Escobar had a saying that was disrespectful to members of the gay community.  Escobar felt bad that this happened, but admitted that he has done this before, but was never caught.  As a result of this slur on the eye black, Escobar was fined $92,000 and given a 3 game suspension.  I think the ruling was fair because it was his first time getting caught, but I believe the league needs to take more notice of anyone who wears eye black.  I believe that if a player wants to wear eye black there should be no writing on it.

There are other ways to honor something that is important to you.  For example, if someone who is close to you passes away, a player can wear arm bands saying their initials.  If an owner or broadcaster passes away, teams put stickers on the helmets of players in football.  The teams also put pins or engravings of the late person on a players uniform.  In reality, there is really no use of wearing eye black.  People use eye black to make the avoid the sun from going in their eyes.  But I don't get it, if you play at night, why would you wear eye black?  Some players wear eye black at night, but most of the time they wear it during day games only.  Plus, baseball players in particular, wear sunglasses when they are out on the field, so in reality, there is no need for eye black.  I have been playing softball for the majority of my life, and I have never put eye black on in any of my games.  Who has the time to put it on as a pro, instead of doing that, they should be preparing for the upcoming game.

A blast from the past!  Roger Clemens is back at it again.  At the ripe old age of 50, Roger Clemens pitched for a baseball team.  No, it was not in the major leagues, but he pitched to some ex-major league batters.  The funny thing is, his son caught him.  Clemens has had a bumpy road ever since leaving the majors in 2007.  He was accused by his former trainer, Brian McNamee, of taking performance-enhancing drugs during his playing career.  Of course Clemens denied ever taking steroids, in hopes to be elected into the Hall of Fame one day.  The trial went back and forth for a while, until Clemens was found not guilty of lying to Congress.  The verdict came on June 18, 2012. (SportsIllustrated)

Many people in baseball, believe that Clemens is trying to come back to the majors after clearing his name.  When Clemens was asked if he considered coming back he said that he would only pitch if it was against "a contender" (KRIV, Houston).  A "contender" is someone who is trying to get into the playoffs.  The only team that would EVER consider bring Clemens back would probably be the Houston Astros.  Why you might ask?  It's because they have nothing to lose or gain if they sign Clemens.  Currently, the Astros are an awful 48-102, yes you are reading that right, they have only won 48 games out of 150.  That's a .320 winning percentage, that means they have only won 32% of the games they have played this year.  The remaining schedule for the Astros looks like this against contenders: 3 games against the Pirates and 3 games against the St. Louis Cardinals (ESPN).  So, if the Astros want Clemens and to make him happy, they better do it fast.  These games against the Pirates and Cardinals start tomorrow (September 21st) and finish September 26th.

I do not see Clemens pitching in the majors this year, it's too late.  Honestly, I don't see him pitching for a major league team ever again.  Yes, there have been pitchers who have pitched in their 50s, but it is rare.  The last pitcher to pitch in their fifties was John Picus "Jack" Quinn, who did it last in 1933.  The last oldest player to pitch in the majors, but not at age 50, is Jamie Moyer, who is 49.  It can be done, but there is a great chance that a pitcher won't be as effective at that age.  Your stamina is less than before, and your arm speed drops dramatically.

One last piece of news that I have been following on is the story about Oakland A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy.  McCarthy is another pitcher who recently was hit in the skull after delivering a pitch in a game.  Here is the link to see the hit: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=24520241 The video came from Major League Baseball's site.

As you can see, it is hard to watch.  McCarthy suffered a fractured skull from this and had to have surgery.  Thankfully, he is recovering well and actually made a surprise visit to his teammates one day. Its nice to see that he is okay, but like any other head injury, you do not know how he will be later down the road.  I have had concussions playing a catcher in softball and I know what it is like to feel lost.  I have never fractured my skull, knock on wood, and am praying that McCarthy will be fine years from now.  As a fan and fellow player, all you can do is pray for him and hope that he will recover with no problems.  Its scary to see this happen, and wonder what if he put his glove up sooner, or what if the mound was farther from home plate.  People do not realize that the distance between the pitchers mound and home plate is 60' 6", that's all.  Pitchers have been hit before in the head, but this one you could hear the thud and feel it.  Its amazing how players can get up from being hit like that and show no signs of injury.  

Major League Baseball might have to make pitchers wear helmets when pitching to help them if they do get hit.  On a warm summer day, July 22 in 2007 to be exact, Tino Sanchez of the Tulsa Drillers hit a line drive foul to the first base line.  The ball went foul and before it hit the ground, it hit first base coach Mike Coolbaugh in the neck.  Coolbaugh fell to the ground and was immediately seen by team doctors and taken to a nearby hospital.  Before the ambulance got to the hospital, Coolbaugh passed away.  As a result of this incident, all first base and third base coaches are required to wear helmets while on the field.  Sometimes, its hard to react to a ball that is coming right at you so fast.  Coaches have been hit in the past, most famous one was when then third base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers Tommy Lasorda was hit by a shattered bat in foul territory.  Once the ball is thrown it is a weapon, just like a baseball bat.  Bats and balls can be hit anywhere, and people need to watch out for them or they can be severely injured.

So that is what has happened in the baseball world this week.  Lets have a recap, you have potentially Cinderella stories with 3 teams, a Latino player who has been suspended for something written on his eye black, a 50 year-old trying to make a comeback and a pitcher who was hit in the head by a line drive.  Wonder what next week will be?  Stay tuned because there is always something that goes crazy in sports everyday.

Next blog will be focused on the NHL seasons status.  Will there be a season?  Time will tell.  

Until then!

Sporty Nikki aka Nicole Nocera

First blog!

Welcome to my new blogging website.  My name is Nicole Nocera and I am a huge sports fanatic.  People in my family call me the "sports nerd."  Why, you may ask?  Because when I am asked a question of an event that happened in a sport, I will answer it without even thinking.  I maybe young, but I can surprise you if you ask me a question about any sport.  I'm always up for a challenge.

Once one sports season ends, another sports season starts.  Take baseball for example, the season is coming to an end in the next few weeks.  As baseball is finishing its season, football has started and basketball is coming up soon.  Hockey, well that's another story, but we'll talk about hockey later.

This is what my blogs will consist of: the world of SPORTS!  I'm just a girl from a small town in New Jersey, who can't get enough of sports.  I once played catcher with a separated shoulder, felt the pain but wouldn't tell my coaches.  I would make my friend who was a teammate, pop the shoulder back in and run back behind the plate.

Someone once asked me who my favorite athlete of all-time was.  Without any hesitation I said, "George Brett."  The person was shocked because they knew I am a big Yankees fan.  George Brett is famous for many things he did in baseball, but one incident stands out over everything, "The Pine Tar Game."  See, apparently Brett had too much pine tar on his wood bat which caused him to have a better grip/feel on the bat.  Subsequently, Brett was called out and the game was over because his team was down at the time of the incident.  The Royals, the team Brett played for, appealed the out and won the appeal.  The game had to be restarted and the Royals ended up winning the game.

The thing people don't know about me is that the term "sports nerd" fits me perfectly.  I can spend hours in front of a television or computer watching videos of games played 60 years ago and not be bored.  I am such a "sports nerd" that I will sit in front of the television, watch a game, record it on my DVR and make stats on the game and critique each player,  manager and umpire.  If he were still alive, Billy Martin and I would probably be best friends.  We don't like to lose at anything and we will fight for things that we know are right.

Well that's it for now, next week I will be starting my blog where I will breakdown the baseball season and give some insight as to who I think deserves to be in the playoffs.  But before that, here are some pictures of the infamous "Pine Tar Incident." The pictures came from: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/
 Until next time!